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water lily
noun
: any of various aquatic plants (especially genera Nymphaea and Nuphar of the family Nymphaeaceae, the water-lily family) with floating leaves and usually showy flowers
broadly
: an aquatic plant (such as a water hyacinth) with showy flowers
Examples of water lily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sotheby’s on Monday sold a Monet water lilies painting for $65.5 million, and Christie’s on Tuesday sold a painting by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte for $121 million.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
Behind them, the conservatory pool is filled with giant water lilies.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2024
Outside the pavilion, the Water Lily Court (which exhibits several of Longwood’s 1,200 water lilies) has been enclosed in a ring of columns that transition the historic conservancies made of stone and composite into the contemporary ones of glass and steel.
—William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2024
The botanical garden is a favorite destination for Diana Dil and her children, pictured near a pool of water lilies.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of water lily was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near water lily
Cite this Entry
“Water lily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20lily. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
water lily
noun
: any of a family of water plants with rounded floating leaves and usually showy flowers
More from Merriam-Webster on water lily
Nglish: Translation of water lily for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about water lily
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